Nahaharap sa reklamong plunder o pandarambong si dating Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero sa Office of the Ombudsman, batay sa mga dokumentong eksklusibong nakuha ng GMA News.

Sa counter-affidavit ni Escudero na inihain noong nakaraang Biyernes, inirekomenda umano ng Field Investigation Office (FIO) ng Ombudsman noong Abril 16 ang pagsasampa ng kasong plunder, graft, at indirect bribery laban sa senador.

Ayon sa FIO ng Ombudsman, inakusahan si Escudero na, “indirectly received kickbacks of P306 million and P280 million” mula sa iba’t ibang flood control projects.

Ibinatay ng reklamo sa mga testimonya ni dating Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary na si Roberto Bernardo.

Nakasaad dito na kinuha umano ni Maynard Ngu, inilarawang kaibigan, campaign contributor, at bagman ni Escudero, ang sinasabing mga kickback.

“In February 2024, Usec. Bernardo, together with his driver Francisco A. Dela Fuente, allegedly delivered P306 million to Mr. Ngu at his office in Cherry Mobile Building, Manila,” nakasaad sa dokumento.

May dalawa pa umanong delivery noong unang bahagi ng 2025 na P160 milyon at P120 milyon na parehong tinanggap umano ni Ngu para kay Escudero.

“The alleged projects from which kickbacks were allegedly sourced are located in Caloocan City, Muntinlupa City, Quezon City, Valenzuela City, Aklan, Albay, Batangas, Bohol, Camarines Sur, Capiz, Cebu, Eastern Samar, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Subic, and Zambales,” ayon sa dokumento.

Mariing itinanggi ni Escudero ang mga alegasyon, at sinabing hindi niya inatasan si Ngu na kumilos para sa kaniya.

Wala rin umanong ebidensiyang nagpapatunay na natanggap niya ang sinasabing pera.

“I did not authorize Maynard Ngu ... to act on my behalf, and there is no evidence that I ever did…Complainant's basis for my supposed receipt of both the P306 million and P280 million is merely the alleged representations of Mr. Ngu that he supposedly received the said amount on my behalf. The complainant completely failed to present proof of the multiple circumstances that would have proven my supposed receipt of the P 306 million and P 280 million,” ayon kay Escudero.

Sinabi rin ni Escudero na nagbigay si Bernardo ng “different, evolving, and materially inconsistent allegations."

Binanggit niya na hindi umano isinama ni Bernardo ang sinasabing P306 milyong kickback sa unang tatlong affidavit na iniharap nito sa Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

“The most glaring inconsistency is the change of amount involved. There is a complete absence of the alleged P306 million delivery ... It appeared for the first time only in his affidavit dated 13 March 2026—submitted after the Ombudsman’s motu proprio investigation had already commenced,” ayon sa senador.

Hiniling din ni Escudero sa Ombudsman na huwag pagkalooban ng immunity si Bernardo at ang tatlo pang indibidwal, dahil si Bernardo umano ang “most guilty.”

“Usec. Bernardo appears to be the most guilty among the individuals implicated in the flood control scandal…He was the main point of contact, and he engaged directly with every other individual identified as alleged conspirators in the complaint,” giit niya.

“Why would I, as 'master plunderer,' only receive P586 million in kickbacks whereas Usec. Bernardo received over P1 billion in kickbacks, as he admitted under oath,” dagdag ni Escudero.

Patuloy pang sinisikap ng GMA News na makuha ang panig ni Bernardo.

Ang Ombudsman ang magpapasya kung isasampa ang kaso laban kay Escudero sa Sandiganbayan na siya namang lilitis sa kaso. -- FRJ GMA News